Does no-one leave their decorations up until 12th night anymore?

[MrsSeanBean]

I feel like a right freak with decorations, tree etc still up. I thought the custom was to leave Christmas decorations up until 12th night. I suppose that custom, as with so many others, has vanished.

Am I the only one?!

What's work got to do with anything? Most people were at work on Christmas Eve yet managed to live with the decorations being up then.

Mine ALWAYS stay up until 12th night and sometimes later.

It really winds me up that places have decorations up months before it's even Advent (or December, before anyone gets all "what if they're not religious" on me!) but then take them down while it's STILL CHRISTMAS

As far as the festivities ending goes, you're supposed to have a proper party on Twelfth Night anyway, with a cake with a bean in it, and the person who gets the bean becomes King and Lord of Misrule for the night. Good mischievous fun, then everything can come down.

Ah - glad I'm not the only person with them still up!

I took ours down today as the weather was awful and I thought I'd take advantage of the day we had indoors, dd helped and it took ages. I usually leave them up a bit longer, but I'm glad its out of the way now. I also cleaned the whole house so everything feels clean and lovely now.

I still have one tree up (out of four).

However that's only because I can't be arsed to crawl into the deep cupboard to retrieve the box until I absolutely have to.

Mine are still up but I have to wean myself off the Christmas decs...I start thinning the cards out then wait a few days and put away a few of the Christmassy ornaments and candles away and then wait another few days And take the rest of the cards down and then take the tree down on the twelfth night! then feel gloomy at seeing the house bare!!!!

The first part of the tradition has already died out (that you ONLY put the decs up on Christmas Eve) so it seems a bit harsh to get a bit judgey about people not sticking to the second part of the tradition (take down on 12th Night - that is from 24 Dec - Jan 6).

6th here too. So wrong to do it before!

But ours go up on Christmas Eve!

YY mine go up on Christmas Eve too.

My neighbour puts her decorations up on approx 15th December and takes them down on Boxing Day.

Oops, that should have said 15th November!

You are the goddess of decs, Seeker. Can you come and 'ave a word with my kids so that next year I can avoid a ruddy great tree in my living room until Christmas Eve??

Took my tree down today only because BT engineer needs access tomorrow in exact spot where tree was. Have left door wreath up and will take down on Friday.

My tree is down because it takes up alot of room in my tiny flat.

My other decorations and fairy lights are still up. In fact, I think I might leave the lights up because they are pretty.

I took the tree down a few days ago, mainly because dd3 learned to take her walker in hand and ram it into the tree , but I leave the crib up until after the Epiphany, although it is currently festooned with Dora figures.

Interesting comment about the lights! I find that I love the extra light. Would it be very naff to have some kind of fairy light arrangement (as tasteful as I can master) up all year round? In the kitchen say??

Ours came down on New Years Eve. I really couldn'd be bothered to deal with them once work / school / nursery started up again. And we only put them up on the 20th.

I have taken a whole load down today purely because I had the time and won't between now and 6th, also I have some very expensive cleaners coming in tomorrow (so would have kept them up) but am desperate for a clean house and don't get to choose the day this week. I love xmas decs and will miss the lights but the house does look bigger and it is nice to be able to get to the needles behind the tree.

I've just noticed that MN still have the festive smilies in operation! - not that I've been making use of them

I took all the inside ones down on Monday, as am back at work now and won't have time on the 6th for the big spring-clean that goes with it, but will leave the outside lights and front door wreath up until 'time.'

Why do ye all need a spring clean after decs? (just curious, don't mean to offend!)

Staying up until the 6th here. Have stopped putting outside tree lights on though, and cards have come down. Everything else staying put till Friday morning. Crib will be packed up in the evening after Kings have eventually found their way!

Mrsseanbean, I've taken all mine down but I always leave the fairy lights up in the kitchen all year round, I have them running along the top of the cupboards because they look so nice. Also have a set of lights in the shape of gold flowers down my banisters all year round because the hall looked so dark without them! And I also got a gorgeous set of pretty feathery silver lights in the sales that I have now entwined round our bedhead, and they are staying as well :)

Ours are still up - didn't put them up till Christmas Eve and DS loves them, so a bit reluctant to take them down till Twelfth Night. I don't want to see his little face when he sees the space where the Christmas tree used to be!